I open at the close
by Milli Moi
Summary: What if Hermione took Ron up on his offer of another baby?
1. Chapter 1

And so it begins.

It had been a while, a long while, since they had been together.

She glared in the mirror, her breasts had gained some large, claw-like stretch marks. They looked like the scar on Bill's face, but duplicated several times.

She sighed.

Up to this year she had always worn the white lingerie she wore on her wedding night as part of their anniversary celebrations. Ron had used magic enhancements once or twice to make it through a rigorous evening, but that was their secret. On usual days he had no problems getting an erection but he had performance issues on occasion. She allowed herself to slip into the day dream of Ron for a moment. Yes he had changed over the years, filled into his tall frame a little during his Auror work, but had since lost most of his predominant abs. His shoulders remained perfect, his bum strong and down there...

She quickly snapped herself away from the idea.

Glancing back in the mirror she caught sight of her stomach. Ugh.

It was hard to remember when they'd got married she had been slim, without a layer of fat just about hanging over her jeans. She also hadn't had stretch marks, or a huge scar from the caesarean she'd had. Even the scar on her left arm, the carving of the word 'mudblood', looked less impressive. Her eyes wandered down her arm, catching on her silver wedding band and engagement ring. They shone, the diamond in one glinting in the light of the bathroom.

It was a special one this year, they had been married twenty years today, she had taken the day off specifically. With Rose and Hugo both away to school till Christmas there was plenty time for-.

"Wow, Mrs Weasley." Ron had appeared behind her and slowly and deliberately slid his hands round her waist, purring.

God that felt good.

She let herself lean back into his bare chest and sighed.

"Please don't call me that, I sound like your mother."

Ron chuckled once, before turning her under his arm and drawing her against his chest properly.

He ran his hands over her breasts cupped in the white corset, smiling to himself.

"What?" Hermione asked, feeling a little unsure, he looked like he was up to something.

He shook his head softly,

"You look beautiful. And damn sexy."

She laughed, putting on her best sexy voice, "oh yeah?"

She reached up, snaking her hands behind his neck and pulling him in for a slow and deep kiss. He groaned against her tongue and moved his hands to grasp her hips, jerking her forward to meet his own hips.

Let her feel his length hardening under her ministrations.

Merlin's beard it had been too long, but with two teenagers in the house it wasn't easy to get these moments.

Her hands tangled in his hair, much shorter than it had once been, and pulled his ear to her, whispering,

"Take me to bed Ronald."

He moaned allowed this time, taking his wife by the hand and leading her through to their bed.

More kissing, deep and noisy kissing. She laid herself onto the bed, reaching across for her wand as he began to tug at the lacy knickers she wore.

His mouth moved in to her neck, sucking gently so as not to mark her. He shook his head as she fingered her wand on the bedside table.

"Let's try," he muttered, removing his mouth from her skin and leaning his weight back on his arms.

Hermione knew what he meant but she was taken aback. They'd discussed it a few times, but wasn't it a bit late, she was forty two for goodness sake.

He went back to suckling her skin, this time her collar bone and had shifted his weight onto one arm in order to pull at the ties down the front of her corset. He spoke again, muffled against her skin.

"If we're going to try again, now is the time. I know what your like though."

"What?" She asked, gripping his arm and bringing his gaze back to her. His eyes seemed to be mostly focused on the bump of her boobs above the tight corset.

He smirked, she had a feeling he was preparing for a slap.

"Well, you've fallen straight away every time we've tried- takes the fun out of it really."

Even though he hadn't said it she knew it was a question. She thought about it for a minute, groaned, but laid her wand back on the sideboard.

It might not happen, they were older now. But it did.


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione sighed. She was going to have to tell them soon, the kids, the family; work. She couldn't quite believe it, another baby- another healthy baby.

She had thought they were too old, yes they'd had a fairly rigorous weekend at their anniversary but that felt a lifetime away. Christ her niece, Victoire, was now the age Hermione had been when they lost baby Dean. Now it was growing close to the end of term, the kids would be home next week from school. They would know the moment they saw their mum. She was nearly three and a half months pregnant and looking big for it.

It didn't help that since she had given Ron the news he had been in a state of perpetual stress. She'd had to rope him in to some relief Auror work while he was still working with George at the shop. He wasn't as fit as he'd once been- neither of them were - but it had led to a torn hamstring and time off from both areas of work. Harry was at his wits end trying to find Auror cover and Hermione was about to tell him she was going to hand over the reins once more.

Ron entered the bedroom, wearing only a pair of pyjama bottoms and carrying a mug of tea in each hand.

"You alright 'Mione?" He asked, stopping by her side of the bed and handing over her mug.

"You had your digestive?"

She nodded. When she had been pregnant with Hugo a midwife had suggested a digestive before she got out of bed might prevent her feeling dizzy when she first got up. It had worked eleven years ago so why not do it again.

Ron sat down next to her on the bed. The same bed in which they had spent their wedding night all those years ago. He looked at the tshirt Hermione had pulled up and grinned at the swelling beginning to happen. She just looked like she'd had a lot to eat but they both knew there was more than that.

He placed his mug on the bedside table beside her wand and as he brought his hand back and gently laid it on her belly.

"Still can't believe this," he murmured, gently thumbing her skin.

"Neither can I," Hermione felt herself groan before thinking that she shouldn't have.

Ron looked concerned, looking into her eyes, searching her soul for answers.

"I'm sorry Ron, I didn't mean it like that, it's just, being MOM isn't really the right job for impromptu babies. And I have no idea what the kids will think. I was a lot younger when we had Hugo."

Ron sighed, drawing his hand away from her belly and using it to cup the side of her cheek.

"Look, I know I'm not the type of bloke to say this but, I guess I'm glad we're still able to make babies. I mean, your my world, the way you've been since I was sixteen."

She smiled softly, kissing him quickly.

"Well if your so sure it was a good idea, you can tell Harry." She smiled cheekily and watched Ron's grin disappear


	3. Chapter 3

The Potters were due to come over in a few days time, a nice sophisticated Dinner before it was back to children and then Christmas.

Christmas had always been big with the Weasley's but with a family that now exceeded twenty people it was a very big Christmas. Everyone would be there and so Hermione had decided this evening with the Potters would be the test run for their news.

Hermione had taken a good while to decide between possible outfits. She didn't normally give so much care at dinners like this but this time she had to. One outfit was a cocktail dress, blue and one sleeved. She had worn it to a formal dinner with the Ministry and wanted to get more use out of it. Except it was tight fitted, the moment she tried it on it made her look a lot bigger than she really was. Her other option was a pair of high waisted jeans and a glittery camisole, but that option totally masked her belly. She wasn't sure if she wanted to show off the coming baby, make it clear for the others.

After a lot of humming and hawing she decided on the camisole, that way she could tell them when the moment arose.

Ron had been dealing with his famous chicken and gammon pies- one of the few things he cooked from scratch, and they were fantastic.

He had appeared in the bedroom again for a quick brush-up before their guests arrived. Hermione had been in the middle of battling her hair- with the brush losing- when he walked in.

"Leave it natural, Hermione." He said reaching for his tie.

She turned to face him, and sighed.

"You're right, I just-."

"Need to stop worrying," Ron finished for her. He quickly tucked in the tail of his tie and, as if cued, there came the bang of a person aparating just outside.

Ron gave his wife another brief nod of encouragement and went to answer the door. She listened to his footfalls on the stairs grow quieter. She sighed, letting her hand go to rest on her bump. She smiled down at it, thoughtfully.

"We love you little one, even if we didn't expect you to join us quite so soon."

"Hermione!" Harry called as soon as Hermione reached the bottom of the stairs, which was visible from the front door.

Harry, the type to have grown thinner with age, looked like the sophisticated older man that Tonks had seen in Remus. He had permanent black stubble across his jaw.

Hermione saw past the cool guy though, she always would, behind his round glasses sat deep green eyes which still felt a lot younger than his soul. Behind the fluffy, sticky up and slightly greying black fringe, remained a lightening bolt scar, which would act as a reminder to them all for the rest of their lives.

Harry embraced her in a fierce hug, his baby blue shirt crinkling against her. He still smelt like Harry, the same Harry he had always been.

"Hey," he began with a smile which soon turned to concern, "Hermione?" But she simply shook her head, smiled and went to greet Ginny.

Ginny smiled at Hermione, releasing her brother before giving the same hug to her sister-in-law.

They quickly sat down for dinner, talking the usual things- the weather and how their elder children were doing at school before Harry, swallowing a mouthful of potato, began to talk something very relevant, making Hermione's blood run slightly cold.

"Have you heard about Mrs Greychild? She's just asked me for leave. Apparently she's expecting. She's forty six!" Harry had no idea.

Ron glanced at his wife out the corner of his eye, sliding his hand onto her leg under the table.

Ginny looked between Hermione and her brother. Hermione could feel her breathing quicken.

"What?" Harry asked and Hermione almost laughed, he was always so oblivious.

She took a breathe, squeezed Ron's hand and laughed nervously, "Actually, Harry, she's not the only one." Ginny squeaked in surprise and got up from her chair to give Hermione a hug.

Ron rolled his eyes at Harry's even more confused expression,

"She's pregnant mate, we're catching you up."

Harry's eyes widened and then he smiled.

At this point Ginny stole Hermione's attention.

"Congrats, I didn't know you wanted another one- or were you not trying?"

"Sort of,"

"How far, are you twelve weeks yet?"

"Fourteen."

Harry ended the conversation by coming over and giving Hermione another hug, followed by slapping Ron on the shoulder.

"Well done Ron."

"Well done? I don't quite rely on 'Erecto' yet". He scoffed and the group laughed.

"So it wasn't," Harry paused, his face crinkling slightly at the thought, "you were trying." It was a question disguised as a statement. Ron nodded strongly, he opened his mouth but shut it quickly. Hermione could almost see him mentally noting no one needed to know that 'trying' had been four rounds in one evening.

Ron, in his ability to do so wrapped his arm casually around her, resting his large hand on her stomach.

That was one tick off the list.


	4. Chapter 4

Ron sighed, flopping back on the bed, shirt open, jeans unbuttoned. She lay in bed beside his jelly-like body, dressed in one of his old shirts. The evening had gone on longer than expected, there had been a good bit of celebrating. Ron and Harry had a few fire whiskies and the alcohol always made Ron Handsy.

Tonight, however he had lain straight on the bed and looked ready to start snoring even though he still wore his shoes.

She leant over to her heap of husband giving him a quick kiss goodnight. By the time she had lain back on her side facing into him he was asleep.

It had gone well, Hermione had asked Harry if he would take on temporary Minister when she went off to have the baby- of course it would need official confirmation- but he had agreed. Ginny had seemed very happy at the prospect of another niece or nephew, commenting that Hermione and her brother made the perfect Quidditch player in Rose so hopefully they could do it again.

Hermione was again surprised to notice her hands had fallen to her stomach, one rubbing fondly on the plump surface. She sighed, a new baby it is, she thought to herself, and only a short while until they would have to tell the children.

"Ugh, God!" Hermione groaned, aware she was moaning very loudly as her husband continued to gently lap between her legs. She could also tell he was gently rocking himself against the edge of the mattress, struggling to keep control. Her hands in his hair Hermione pulled gently, asking him to come up for air. He slipped his body over her's till they were face to face. She tried her best not to whimper at the loss but instead hooked her leg up over his hip.

"If this is the last chance before the kids are home, I want you inside me. Fuck me Ron."

He answered in way of a long groan before trying to position himself better. She took him in her hand and slowly helped him slip into her. They both groaned.

God it felt good.

She was entering that stage of pregnancy, where she was insatiable and her husband was more than happy to oblige, saying this was the time in pregnancy when she was sexiest.

She felt him slip slowly forward to fill her completely. She was aware her senses were heightened, and luckily Ron was too. He held her hip and watched her intently as she began to cry out, tears forming in her eyes.

Although her eyes were shut tight she felt his stumble covered chin brushing against her face. He kissed her continually, all over her face in tune with his thrusting hips.

She could hear herself sobbing but it wasn't in pain but in uncontrollable pleasure.

"That's it 'Mione, for me," Ron muttered between kisses,

"For me, my perfect girl, your almost there."

He kissed the tears streaming down her cheeks, and she could feel him struggling to keep up with her.

He gently pushed himself out her grasp taking her hips in one hand and gently stroking just above where he was filling her.

Hermione tried her best to look up, to watch him touching her but she couldn't bear the feeling any more. She reached the peak and cried out, panting and wailing loudly. Ron grunted, murmuring a 'merlin!' under his breathe.

He gently milked her for a few moments, until he felt her begin to convulse around him.

He gently slid from her body, fluid spilling on to the bed sheets.

He crawled up beside her clumsily, clearly worn out. His cheeks were red and his expression questioning, asking for approval. The first time this had happened, when she was expecting Rose, he had been worried by her extreme reaction, not understanding that hormones had taken over and it was effectively making her seventeen again.

He slowly smiled at her,

"Come here, love."

They shared a long, deep kiss, with Ron cradling her body into his, the ginger hair on his chest scratchy as it was on his chin.

"Good?" He asked with a laugh when they separated. She giggled. Often in these moments she was reminded of her younger self. She remembered her last year at Hogwarts, after her and Ron had began to get much closer.

She remembered being incredibly embarrassed that she had groaned during a kiss with her then new boyfriend. Ginny had thought it sweet, sweet that Hermione- so clever and so good with magic, was scared of her body's natural reactions.

Ron ran a hand through his hair, grinning like an idiot. Hermione, feeling embarrassed, gave him a playful slap on the chest.

"What?" He teased, pretending to look offended.

He pushed himself a little further down her body, struggling to slide on her sticky skin, and slid his hand in a circle around her belly, leaning down he kissed the exposed skin.

She felt her heart flutter at the gesture. He was excited about this baby, just as much as he had been about their first and second.

"You can't wait," she stated. He lifted his head to look at her and grinned widely.

"Look, I waited five years to let you know I liked you, sleeping with you and knowing you're carrying my child? That's mental."


	5. Chapter 5

Platform nine and three-quarters. Oh, the memories. It was strange to return to the place where she had once taken the steam train to school. Now her children rode the very same train to the very same school.

How much had changed since the years at Hogwarts, yet not as much had changed in twenty-two years than what had changed in the ten years they had been at the wizarding school. So much had happened to them as kids, so much that it sometimes made Hermione a little sad that her children and their cousins would not experience the same as she and the other parents had done.

Now came the first break in the term, the first time ever that Hugo would return home from the school and one of many ends of term holidays for Rose. They were soon to break news to their children which would either make or break the Christmas holidays.

Hermione stood awkwardly, trying to suck in her stomach, pulling at the hem of her top to try and cover her belly. Ron eventually took a firm hold on her wrist and pulled her hand away, keeping her hand in his grasp to prevent her doing it again, but also to try and comfort her.

The train was beginning to appear along the track far into the distance, They shared a glance as the fast moving train whistled loudly and steam flooded the platform, invading the lungs of all who stood on it. The smell took Hermione back once again, the smell which she had always felt belonged on the set of a period drama – precisely in the film version of the children's novel 'Carrie's War', which she had loved as a child.

The doors to the individual train carriages began to burst open up and down the platform and soon the platform was covered in children scurrying to their parents or laughing with friends. First, she spotted the eldest of her Nieces and Nephews to still be in school in the form of Fred. Fred junior had his Gryffindor tie wrapped around his head and was being chased by a rather annoyed looking prefect. As much as George was delighted his son had remained in school he always struggled to reprimand the boy who was a tanned version of the Uncle he had been named after.

The next one she spotted was James, carrying a shiny broom which she knew the rest of her close family would be able to name at a mile's height but she had never had a good eye for brooms. She knew, much to the surprise of Ron, that the Cleansweep was doing well in the world of racing brooms current – but she only knew that because Rose had been hinting, with very little subtlety, that many of the Gryffindor Quidditch team now had the new broom and that if she had to wait until she passed her Apparition exam to get one she would be well out of touch.

It was as she thought of her daughter's letter that Hermione caught sight of Rose meandering through the crowds with one of the Scamander twins.

Lorcan and Lysander were not much older than Rose, possibly as much as five or six months, but they were – like their mother – a little different for their age. One of them- Hermione had always struggled to tell them apart – had a deep interest in Astronomy and had a permanent fixture of the solar system around his neck. The other, possibly Lysander, was into Pygmy Puffs, but unlike most fifteen-year olds he had more interest in breeding them than keeping them as pets.

Hermione had never heard the nicest reports on the twins from her daughter but Rose had always been very open to saying what she thought, there were no secrets and no lies. She was good at almost everything and very confident which sometimes made her come across as unkind, having said what she had thought before thinking how it might impact those she spoke to.

Hugo on the other hand, he was – like she was herself – a Gryffindor through his values. Hugo at heart remained a Hufflepuff. He was sweet, generous and talkative. In many ways, he reminded Hermione of Tonks, and, by extension, of Teddy Lupin. Teddy had left school now, a relationship blossoming between him and Victoire Weasley, and she had recently offered him a job in Magical Accidents – he was a good talker, a better listener; an excellent councilor. She only hoped that her slightly shy son would grow up to let his skills shine as Teddy had.

"Mum!" Rose called before rushing over, her cheeks flushed,

"We won the match – against Slytherin, my first one. James said I did good and Tamworth, the captain, he said I did great."

Hermione felt her tongue dry in the bottom of her mouth. Her brain was already wired to speak about the baby, desperate to get the news out so that she didn't have to say it again. Ron thankfully wasn't frozen and spoke straight away.

"That's great Rosie! I knew those practice dives we did over the summer would help, your Aunt really gave you the right tip with tucking that elbow into your hip and- Hugo!"

Hugo had come running up, his robes still a little big and his satchel slipping down his arm, almost tripping himself up on the way. Ron instantly engaged their son in conversation. He was the perfect Dad, he had been made for this role. He was the fun one, but had boundaries, the protective one, but allowed a little bit more than Mum would, he bent the rules enough, but they still listened.

It was to her horror she realized she had been too scooped up in her Husband's behavior, thinking of him as the father he was and the father he would be. Her hand was now on her stomach once again. She had become too used to doing this, too used to the idea that there was going to be a baby that she had almost forgotten the children – and the general public – knew nothing about what was to come.

She saw Rose's gaze. Rose narrowed her eyes in a way that Hermione recognized instantly as suspicious. Suspicious in a way that was not good. Suspicious in a way that made her stomach drop and she had an instant feeling things were not going to go well.

Rose widened her eyes, it had clicked in her mind. She knew what was happening. Rose glanced at Hermione to Ron and back again, her face contorted in what was both anger and fear.

"What the Hell?"


	6. Chapter 6

This was not the reaction that Hermione had been hoping for. This was a bad reaction, that was certain. Rose had flushed, she glared in shock between her parents, even glancing at her less-observant little brother to get him to back her up. No one had backed her up, but no one had argued either.

The car journey home had been thorny, a thick, stagnant silence hanging in the car until they finally got home. Then Rose had exploded.

"What the hell is going on? Was this some kind of weird accident?" Rose paused, shaking her head from where she stood in the center of the living room making it so that no one could get past her.

"Why, if it was an accident, why didn't you fix it? Mum- you talked to me about accidents and dealing with them just before we went back to school for God's sake!"

The ranting was never ending, Rose had opened the flood gates in her mind, she had clearly been listing her disproval all the way in the car home. Hermione found herself wincing at every word, 'irresponsible', 'stupid', 'why couldn't you think of us?', they all stung and eventually she removed herself quietly to the kitchen.

She gripped the sink, trying her best to hold in the tears she could feel were coming. God, the kids were supposed to be happy, they were supposed to understand and want their new sibling. She could feel the tiny human squirming ever so slightly in her belly, nothing that a first time Mum would feel but she knew the odd sensation of quickening.

It was as though the little one was trying hard to comfort its mother.

"Now, that is quite enough Rose!"

Hermione was drawn into the sound of her Husband's voice instantly. He never raised his voice to the children, never. Rose had stopped, stunned into silence. There was the sound of thundering footsteps up the stairs and the sound of a bedroom door being locked on the landing.

The tears spilled from Hermione's eyes, she watched as one fell into the sink and sloped towards the plug hole. She hated when they argued - the children and their parents – she didn't care about her and Ron, they bickered a lot but in the end, they always slept curled into the other; knowing life was too short not to forgive.

Ron's hand touched her shoulder softly from behind. She turned instantly, burying her face in his chest, in the glorious smell that was him and only him. The smell of her Amortentia. He stroked the back of her head gently for a moment or two, untangling one of the occasional ringlets he found there before he gently drew her backward, using his thumb to wipe a tear from her cheek. He shook his head, silently asking her to stop crying, silently telling her it would be ok.

"S'just hormones, she's at that age. Rosie'll come round, I promise. She's like her mother."

"What," Hermione laughed,

"Resistant to change?"

Ron laughed and moved his head from side to side, pretending to weigh up her suggestion. She smiled.

"I was thinking more, stubborn and set in her ways, but your suggestion works too."

She knew he was joking. He had always been excellent at making her laugh, good at providing the comic relief in any situation.

"Look," he continued, taking both of his wife's hands.

"Rosie's going through what Fred and George used to call the 'psycho stage,' We all had brothers to take it out on, Rosie only has one brother, not five, she's bound to take it out on us. Give her a bit to calm down, then talk to her. She'll be fine, I promise."

Hermione began to cry again, Ron looked worried, sliding his hand up her arm,

"Hey, what is it, what's up?"

Hermione smiled through her tears,

"Hormones."


	7. Chapter 7

The worst part about this revelation hitting the children during the Christmas holidays was, of course, the fact it was Christmas. Christmas time meant seeing family and friends, going on outings as a family and doing things together in their own home. Rose had not really had time to recover from her sulky, bitter behavior by the time they were due to visit the Grangers.

Hermione had been hung up on the idea that they had to tell the children before any other family, unfortunately it had taken so long for the children to know that her own parents were behind on the news.

Of course, she had no concerns that her own parents would take the news well, they only had one child so three grandchildren were likely more than they had ever expected. Although not many wizarding families were as big as the Weasleys, it had still taken Ron a while to comprehend that most muggle families had a maximum of three children. Ron had muttered that his Mother was one of five and his grandmother one of twelve. Three was more than enough for Hermione, two was supposed to have been more than enough. She had never imagined having another after the caesarean section, but nether the less she had another one, and a third due next year.

On arriving at her parents' home - not the one she had grown up in, they had moved after her Dad hurt his knee into a ground floor apartment – the plan to tell everyone together was quickly taken out of sorts. Ron was grabbed by her Father to help him move some furniture around in the bedroom. Hermione had gone to offer her help too when Rose, who had barely looked at her Mum in two days, grumbled 'you better not, don't want to damage it, do you?'.

There had been no option but to explain there and then, to tell her parents without the celebration she had hoped for. Hermione had been spot- on with her parent's reactions. They had been thrilled, delighted, but Hermione had been sure there was something in the corner of her Mum's eye, a vacant look, a look which said something was on her mind.

The moment her Mum went to the kitchen to carry on making the Sunday roast she had promised for dinner Hermione had followed in her footsteps.

"Mum?" she had questioned, leaning herself back against the counter top, watching her Mum peer through the door of the oven.

Her Mum sighed. She stood up straight throwing her oven gloves down onto the counter next to the oven.

"Hermione, darling, I am so happy for you,"

"But?" Hermione interrupted, crossing her arms. She had always been able to tell when her mum wasn't telling the whole truth, her emotions were always written on the planes of her face.

"Hermione. When you were four a friend of ours, the same age as your Dad and I, had her first child. She was forty four but so active, ate healthy, didn't drink or smoke. She had a baby boy, his name was John – after his father. He was born with Down's syndrome."

Hermione swallowed but remained quiet, allowing her Mother to finish the story.

"They couldn't keep him. JJ had to go to a residential children's home. He needed one on one care all day. He had seizures, had a hole in his heart and. I'm sorry, darling, I'm just worried. You know as well as I do that older Mums are far more likely to have children with Down's Syndrome."

"But not all children who have it are as severe as he was, some live almost independently."

Her Mum shook her head and Hermione could tell she was missing something, her Mum was worried about more than just a disability.

"I know what you are, in this magical world. We know you are very high up in the UK government and we also know we aren't supposed to have much knowledge about what happens there. What about this secrecy act?"

"The International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy," Hermione jumped in. she couldn't help it, she knew the laws as well as she knew her own name. Her Mum nodded, sighing and speaking quieter.

"What happens when a person who is magically capable cannot keep themselves hidden. What if you have a little child who is both disabled and magical, what then?"

She paused and Hermione could tell her Mum felt she had been too harsh.

"You need to get the tests done, you need to know this baby doesn't have Down's Syndrome. If it did, would it be fair to bring it into your world?"


	8. Chapter 8

It was the 23rd of December before they knew it but Hermione had felt her Christmas spirit sink to her boots. She hadn't told Ron about her Mum's warning, hadn't told them about the possibility of Down's Syndrome looming over them. She wasn't sure he would know about the condition – it was probably called something different in the Wizarding World.

Due to this she had taken the time during her work days to research the condition, to look up the possibility of getting an Amniocentesis – the test of amniotic fluid which could determine the likeliness of the condition. She had thought she knew about the condition until she began to search, the information was constant, never ending and complex.

Yes, she understood the scientific side to the situation, she knew that it lay in the Genome, in a duplication of chromosome 21, but she didn't know about the medical problems, not really.

Hermione sat back in her chair, glancing around the desk surface. She had a note book beside her - she always carried a notebook in her handbag but recently this book had become her baby research book. She glanced at her scrawled green handwriting on the page.

Definition of Down's Syndrome:

a congenital disorder arising from a chromosome defect, causing intellectual impairment and physical abnormalities including short stature and a broad facial profile. It arises from a defect involving chromosome 21, usually an extra copy (trisomy-21).

She could feel tears pricking the corner of her eyes, thumbing her belly with one hand. Her baby was not a definition. It was a person, a real, living and deserving person. She knew, however, that this baby was not as she had planned. It was almost as though her images of this baby were like a Russian doll, with passing time the top layer was removed and a new image of her baby was planted in her mind instead.

This baby, the baby with special needs, was so far from what she had thought it would be. There was no less love, but much more fear.

Hermione sighed as she slid through the front door of their small family home. She could hear the voice of her husband coming from the kitchen.

"Hugo, some things don't go as you think they will – look at your mum and I, I never thought that would happen. There are things in this world we will never get, but we just have to go with them, they are meant to happen."

The words hit something inside Hermione. She hadn't a clue what her boys were talking about but she felt the words asked something more.

She waited until their Dinner was in the Oven before sending Hugo up into the house to find his sister. Rose, who was no longer treating her Mum with hatred but more with indifference, came with him and as a family they sat down in the living room.

Ron was scared, his eyes kept searching her own, looking for something, dreading something bad. Hermione simply shook her head, but took his hand, squeezing it gently and feeling his wedding ring cool against her skin.

"There is a statistic," Hermione began once all the family were watching her intently,

"That people who have children beyond the age of forty, have a higher risk of having a baby with special needs – with Down's Syndrome."

she paused to swallow, Ron squeezed her hand tight, subtly placing his hand around her back to hold her a little closer.

"I am trying to tell you, your little brother or sister, they, they might be a little bit different. They might not be able to talk, they might have heart problems or muscle problems. They might find it hard to tell us things or do what we ask. They might be different, but they will always, always, be loved."

Hermione felt her voice crack in her throat, she closed her eyes trying to tell herself to stop crying, to stop making this seem hopeless. It was not hopeless, it would never be hopeless.

She felt arms wrap around her, hugging her tight. But she knew before she opened her eyes, knew by the smell and the size of the hands that this was not Ron that hugged her. It was Rose.


	9. Chapter 9

Hermione lay in their bed, in that blissful moment between sleeping and waking, she could feel herself smiling. There was sunlight glimpsing through the skylight in their slanted ceiling, it was warm against her back. The weather had been so good for early spring, so unlikely, things felt so good in these moments, especially, when – like they did now – a soft, work-worn hand lay on her hip, the cool metal of a wedding band on her sun kissed skin.

The hand moved, sliding down the hip bone, rippling over the end of the t-shirt which had once been Ron's. In its place, a scraggly, jagged chin appeared, and soft – ever so soft – his lips kissed on her flesh.

Hermione closed her eyes once more, relishing the feeling of her husband's caring caresses. She felt the smile on her face widen as a piece of hair was hooked and pulled away from her face, being tucked behind her ear.

"Morning," a voice hissed so softly and yet so gruff that it tickled her ear and made her laugh. Hermione twisted awkwardly onto her back, her steadily growing belly altering her balance and causing her to have two attempts before successfully flopping into the mattress.

Ron's bright smile and his blue, shiny eyes were just above her face. She searched his eyes, they were beginning to lose the fear they had carried since Christmas time. He leaned over her kissing her so soft but yet deep and very tender. Hermione had often been told by Harry that her husband hadn't loved her a smidgen less since he realized he loved her at all, but she knew this, deep down, she knew this well.

When he broke away from her lips his eyes went instantly down to her stomach, his hands touching, massaging gently over her belly, mapping out the position of their child- not truly knowing which way was up.

There was a lot they didn't know about this little thing. They knew it was a surprise, that it was special. They knew the amniocenteses had been positive for a high risk of Down's Syndrome. They also knew that to date no witch or wizard had been diagnosed with the condition, whether that was because they had been non-magical or had simply not existed, they didn't know. They would have to wait until May to discover the truth. They didn't know if their children would cope with a sibling who was different, but they did know their children were kind and considerate. They knew neither Rose or Hugo would deliberately hurt another person, they had both grown so much.

She smiled at Ron, he had grown so much. He had been so insecure once, so unable to express himself and she supposed she had been the same. There had been a slot in the jigsaw they couldn't piece into place. Some of the things Hermione had, Ron had not and vice versa. They had filled that slot for each other, and like most jigsaws, they had become stronger once they were complete.

Perhaps- if there was a god – that had been his plan, this special baby was here to challenge them once more, because they were strong, they had formed a solid wall, once held together by Harry, which was now held by each other's hands. They did not know a lot, but they knew they were right.

"What?" he asked, catching her gaze. She shook her head, bringing his face down to her, burying his head in her shoulder. Bits of hair got entangled in his scruffy stubble. He held her hand in his, twining their fingers together.

Ron's arm brushed against the scar on her own arm. The word, the carving, which had faded with years but would never truly go away.

His own scars were faint too, where he had been attacked in the department of mysteries. Twenty-two years ago, they had affirmed they were unbreakable, now? Now there was no need to affirm, they were a unit, a family, and - as Hermione had learned many years ago – nothing could break the bonds of love.

(A/N) this is intended to be the end of this particular piece of writing, but please, if you have any questions or want to know more about the changing family then please ask. Also, please check out some of my other pieces such as Muggle Hospital and Seven. Thank you so, so, much for reading and commenting. I hope you will continue to support me.


End file.
